Pacers are a game away from winning round one. – Indianapolis Recorder

After a stunning performance by Pacers forward Myles Turner during game four of the first-round playoff matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers are one game away from winning their first playoff series in a decade.  

Gainbridge Fieldhouse erupted in a frenzy during the game’s final moments, with fans spinning their pacer yellow towels in the air to celebrate some of the most dominant Pacer performances in recent history. 

“The fans were fantastic. We had some really good individual performances…But when you’re in a playoff series and you win, your celebrations have to be pretty short, and you have to keep focusing,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. 

On Sunday, April 28, the Pacers beat the Bucks 126-113 to take a 3-1 lead in round one of the playoffs. The series will travel back to Milwaukee for game five on Tuesday. If the Pacers win, they’ll move on to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014. 

Turner had the best playoff game of his career, leading the Pacers with 29 points, seven three-pointers, and a strong bid for the dunk of the postseason so far against Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez. Turner looked at home in Gainbridge, consistently interacting with the crowd after big plays.   

“That was very special, just knowing how much the city means to me and they reciprocated that love. It was a dope moment for me,” Turner said of the fans chanting his name during the game. 

All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with 24 points and five three pointers, the most he has scored so far this series. However, Haliburton has been productive in every game. In game three, he scored a triple-double and the final point in overtime to seal the game. 

While the Pacers had a dominant win, they were aided by the Bucks’ missing star players. MVP and champion Giannis Antetokounmpo was out again with a calf injury, and All-Star Damian Lillard was ruled out for the first time this series with an Achilles injury. During the season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30 points, while Lillard averaged 24 points. 

“I think we’ve got to understand all year we’ve struggled when teams miss their guys. That’s kind of been the story of our season, losing games we’re quote-end quote supposed to win. Just looking at this, it could have been like, some call it a trap game, just letting your guard down…We didn’t want to do that. We wanted to come out and play the right way,” Haliburton said on the undermanned Bucks.  

To make matters worse for Milwaukee, the Bucks starting forward Bobby Portis was ejected in the first quarter after a scuffle with Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard with five minutes to go. Portis shoved and then slapped Nembhard in the head under the visitor’s basket after a routine play. 

“It ramped up the intensity of the overall game,” Carlisle said on the ejection. 

Now the Pacers will look to put the Bucks down in Milwaukee for game five on Tuesday, April 30, for the first series win in 10 years. 

“We’ll celebrate tonight, but we need to get right back to it tomorrow. We still have one more game to win. Never too high, never too low,” Turner said.  

Contact Racial Equity Reporter Garrett Simms at 317-762-7847.